Type-writer-ribbon mechanism.



J. ALEXANDER.

TYPE WRITER RIBBON MEUHANISM.

APFLIOATION TILED JULY 15,1911.

ramnmd se t. 24, 1912.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

and

Jesse fl/ex J. ALEXANDER. TYPE WRITER RIBBON MECHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 15,1911. 1,039,473, Patented Sept. 24, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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JESSE ALEXANDER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOIR. OF ONE-HALF TO THEODORE A. REED AND ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM GIlEtOSVEll'OR BIDGWAY, BOTH 0F BROOKLYN,

NEW YORK.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jessa ALEXANDER, a citizen of 'the United States, and resident of New York, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type- Writer-Ribbon Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to typewriting machines and isv particularly concerned with improvements in the ribbon mechanism thereof.

The invention has for its object tofeed the ribbon uniformly past the printing point during the printing operation, said feed being etl'ected by the action of the type bars upon the usual universal bar.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for readily reversing the ribbon feed, which means may be conveniently manually controlled. I

A further object is to so construct such ribbon, reversing means that the ribbon spool from which the ribbon is to be fed will be,relieved, of pressure not only of theactuating pawl, but also of the spring or other means for preventing back'-' lash.

A further object is to provide for ready removal of the ribbon spools.

\Vith these objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts, a preferred embodiment of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of so much of a typewriting machine as is necessary to illustrate my invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevat-ionof some of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 Fig. 2, certain parts being omitted for clear illustration.

In the embodiment of my invention herein selected for illustration, 1 indicates the machine frame having the usual type bar segment 2, to which the type bars 3 are pivoted in the slots 4. Upon either side of the machine and preferably in frame plates 5, as well as in the frame projections (3-(3, are journaled ribbon spool shafts 7T, each having a head 8 at its lower end below the bearing plates 6 and having a cross head 9 at the upper end, be-

Speciflcation of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 15, 1911.

Serial No. 638,608.

tween which and the frame plate a spring 10 is interposed to hold each of said shafts in elevated position with the head 8 substan- Patented Sept. 24, 191 2.

depressing the spools and shafts against the I pressure of the springs 10 and thereupon slipping the spools from beneath the spool supporting arms 16. The ribbon may be guided from one spool to the other by any suitable form of guide, as shown at 17.

Inorder to feed the ribbon from one spool to the other. each shaft 7 is provided with a ratchet wheel 18 adapted to be engaged by a pawl 19 having an upwardly extending arm 20 adapted to be pivoted'to a rock arm 21 fixed to the rock shaft 22 to which shaft also are fixed the arms 23 connected to the universal bar 24 by which the shaft 22 is rocked by each of the type bars when moved to printing position. Upon reapertured lug 27 therefore serves both as a support and as a guide for the spool actuating paWls. In order to prevent back-lash of the spool to which ribbon is being fed, a suitable spring 19 may be mounted upon the lug 27, which spring, when the pawl is in engagement with the ratchet also engages the same, and when the pawl is disengaged from the ratchet by the ribbon reversing mechanism this spring is simultaneously released to permit of ready feed of the ribbon from the stored spool; In order to effect this reversing movement or feed, the bar, 28 is slidably mounted. upon a. suitable portion of the machine frame by means of thescrews 29 engaging slots 30 in said bar, and each end of the bar is preferably provided with a finger piece 31for convenient operation.

As will be seen from an inspection of Figs. 1 and 2, the shifting of the bar from right to left'will, through the apertured roll 36 on a spring arm 37, suitably mounted on the machine frame 38. When the reversing bar is shifted to either of its opera.- tive positions, the roll 36 engages one of the faces 34:01 35 and holds said bar in such position. I V 1 By the above described construction it will be seen that the'ribbon spools may be readily mounted or removed from the machine, and that the ribbon feed; may be readily reversed.- It will further be seen that the ribbon operating mechanism includes few parts, and said parts have direct and effective connection with the actuating member, namely, the universal bar.

While I'h'ave herein described the particular emhfqdiment of my invention it is to be understood that the same may be altered in detail and construction of parts without 111vention.-

, WVhat I claim is":-

1'. In a typewriter ribbon mechanism, the

p ing from the spirit or scope of my depressed and the spool disengagedfrom 1 said arm and detached from said shaft.

2. In typewriter ribbon mechanism, the combination with a pairof r bbon spools,

actuating shaftstherefor, operativeconnectionsfor said shafts, a detachable .conneo tion between the end of each spool and its I shaft, a supporting armto hold the spool in engagement with its shaft,' a yielding supportfonsaid shaft whereby the shaft may be removed away from said. arm andthe ribbon spool removed therefrom.

3. In typewriting ribbon mechanism; the

combination with a pair of. ribbon spools of actuating shafts therefor, meansfor actuating said shafts, said shafts 'belng slidably and yieldably mounted in bearings, a sup porting arm for each spool opposite-each shaft andv detachable connections between said spool, said shaft and said 'arzn whereby "the spool maybe removed by moving said shaft away from the cooperating,supporting arm. U JESSE ALEXANDER. \Vitnessesu i V DAVID M. EnsALL, -Trinononn A. REED.

Copies of thispatent may be obta'l'ned for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

v Washington, D. C. r 

